Film Review: "Faraway" (2023).

"Sometimes we all need a fresh start" This is Faraway. This German romantic comedy drama film directed by Vanessa Jopp, and written by Jane Ainscough and Alex Kendall. Zeynep is unhappy and her life has not turned out as she wanted. That's why she flees to a Croatian island, where her deceased mother bought a house long ago. She hopes to find peace and relaxation finally - but she hasn't reckoned with Josip, who still lives on the property.

The film stars Naomi Krauss, Goran Bogdan, Adnan Maral, Bahar Balci, Artjom Gilz, Davor Tomic, Mladen Vasary, Paula Schramm, Christian Schneller, Butz Ulrich Buse, Ivica Zadro, Zvonimir Kovacic, Mirko Stanic, Ivan Zanic, Ante Blazevic, Alen Babic, Andrijana Gardun, and Hans-Joachim Bauer. The only real depth here is in Krauss' ability to convey lingering heartache despite having little call to do so from the script. Krauss' winning, beautifully measured performance effortlessly steals our affection and grounds the film's contrivances along the way. With a performance of such depth and beauty it overshadows the film's gorgeous Croatian scenery, Krauss owns the screen in the film. This movie, benign and conventional as it is, needs a gutsy performance to keep it from sheer sogginess. The biggest surprise the movie generates is why it's taken this long for Krauss' career to take off. Warmth and joy fill the movie. Some of it comes from that sun over Croatia, but most of it comes from the inner radiance of Krauss.

See it only for the spectacular scenery provided by the gorgeous geography of Croatia, and the ever-radiant beauty of Krauss. The film is an amiable one that, in the tradition of escapist fiction, provides a nice, scenic getaway with just enough drama to keep the story from getting stagnant. Offers audiences the ultimate fantasy vacation. It's a beautiful, sunny, fresh air trip to Europe without the jet lag, language problems, money problems, or any other trivialities. In real life people are not usually so impulsive. That's why movies like this one are enjoyable: they offer us the fantasy of what our lives would be like if we took the plunge. Falling apart halfway through screening, the film only benefits from Krauss' seductive performance, beautiful cinematography and wonderful locations. The film goes for the picture postcard look-and-feel and it succeeds admirably, a flighty contrivance that's thin, lightweight, and instantly disposable. Like the old Croatian hut at the center of this story, there is a lot wrong with the movie, but it is so enticing -- especially for its intended audience -- that it is hard to resist. The film pretends to be juicy, but it doesn't allow any dribbles. It purports to make love all over us, but not without laying down lots of paper towels first. The epitome of what a feel-good movie is supposed to be but rarely is, this one is beautiful to look at and life-affirming to think about, but it does have a pretentious bone in its head.

Simon says Faraway receives: